Mill



Aug. 1, 1939.

Original Filed Dec. 31, 1934 R, S, BUTLER MILL 2 Sheets-Sheet l 0,567?? 15." Bae/(Zivi Q3- l' @ma Allg- 1 1939 R. s BUTLER 2,168,085

MILL

Original Filed Deo. 3l. 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 1, 1939 UNITED s TATss NULL Robert S. Butler, Santa Monica, Calif., assignor to Sullivan Machinery Company, a corporation of Massachusetts Application December 31, 1934, Serial No. 759,903 Renewed June 12, 1939Y 18 Claims.

This invention relates to size reducing mills, and particularly to sire-reducing mills ior reducing. material such as rock, ore, retort residues, coal. etc. trom pieces oi substantial size to a degree of ilneness suitable for pulverlzing.

An object oi.' my invention is to provide an improved size-reducing mill. Another object of my invention is to provide an improved crusher of very simple construction and great emclency. A further object of my invention is to provide an improved size-reducing mill which may embody a single stage of size reducing apparatus or a plurality oi stages, as desired. Yet another object of my invention is to provide an improved size-reducing mill adapted for continuous feed and having, in a machine of small size and relatively light weight. an output equal to that of much larger size-reducing mills of familiar types. Still another object is to provide an improved size-reducing mill in which the kinetic' energy oi relatively moving parts and frequent reversals of direction are availed of to eifect a very rapid and positive crushing action. Other objects and advantages of my invention will hereinafter more fully appear.

In the accompanying drawings, in which several illustrative embodiments of my present invention are shown.-

Fig. 1 ls a view. primarily in central vertical section, but with some parts shown tn full,I thlxiugh one illustrative form ofthe size-reducing m Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section on a plane corresponding to the line 2--2 oi Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing a modified {orm oi construction in which plural staging is incorporated.

Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical section on a plane corresponding to the line 4 4 oi Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view, partially in central longitudinal section and partially in elevation, through a modified form of single stage size-redilcing mill.

Fig. 6 is an end view oi the construction shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 5, showing a iurther modiilcation. i IMllg'. 8 is an end view oi the structure shown in Fig. 9 is a view, partially in side elevation and partially in vertical section. showing a further modified form oi mill.

Referring iirst to the species of the embodiment oi' the invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2, it will be observed that a suitable rugged frame l (Cl. 8H)

supports, in a suitable bearing 2, a crank shaft 3 having a combined driving pulley and ilywheel l. The crank shaft has a crank pin i connected by a suitable connecting rod i to a wrist pin 'l suitably supported in projecting brackets I which 5 are secured to the front head of a reciprocable size-reducing-chamber-providing element or unit 9. 'Ihis unit herein comprises a front head Il, a rear head H, a top I2 having a ared chargereceiving portion I3, side plates Il, holding rods 10 I5, and spacing sleeves I6 which also serve as guides for the size-reducing medium, and some of which serve to preclude discharge of material not reduced in size to the desired degree. It will be observed that the heads lil and Il are heldin l5 spaced relation to each other by the spacing sleeves IB; that the side plates Il are bolted at Il to the end plates; that the top plate is suitably attached in any desired manner, as by welding, to the end plates; that the bottom oi ,o the casing 8 is open, and that the top supports the' material-receiving chute Il and receives the material to be crushed and broken through opening Il surrounded by the bottom portion of the supply chute Il and divided by a deiiector I9. g5 The size-reducing or crushing medium may advantageously consist of one or more balls 2B of relatively large size and substantial mass, and with tlre device illustrated the size-reducing action is derived very largely i'rom the kinetic en- 30 ergy oi the ball and of the casing element. It will be noted that the sleeves I6 are so spacerelated to each other and to the side plates that there is possible a slight movement of the ball 20 of! the lower sleeves in passing over material oi large 35 size, etc., that the ball may at times engage the side plates, and that the side plates at times limit lateral movement of the ball. The member 9 is provided adjacent its bottom with angle portions 2 I, and between the depending lugs oi .theseangle 40 portions and the bottoms of the sides oi the caslng there are journaled rollers 22 by means of pivot pins 2l, and these rollers support the casing 9 for reciprocation upon guides l24 at opposite sides of a discharge opening 25 formed in the 45 base I. Suitable guideways 26 bolted at 21 to the base frame guide the casing 9 for reciprocation.

It is very important to select the throw oi the crank 6 and to determine the free travel oi the size-reducing or crushing media so that the most 5 9 effective size-reducing action will be obtained. Were it not for the fact that the rock masses to be broken occupy a substantial and variable portion oi' the free space between the free size-reducing medium (herein the ball) and the ends of u the chamber, the matter of obtaining maximum impact would be quite simple. as it would simply be necessary to select a chamber dimension of such length that the ball charge, whose velocity may be considered to be substantially constant (aside from the retardation due to friction and load. this is relatively true), would coact, in effecting size reduction, with the oppcsitely moving chamber head substantially as the latter attained to its maximum velocity. The crank throw and ball sine obviously, therefore, both affect chamber length. The hardness and friability of the material affect bali size and weight, the ratio of sise to weight increasing with the, so to speak, degree of easy crushability of the material, so that for material easy to crush a relatively large hollow ball can be used -to effect rapid size-reduction. The force of the blow is a function of velocity and mass, and therefore the stroke of the casing can be determined from the ascertained necessary force of blow to crush the material. Now, having selected a ball size (and weight. of course) and determined the crank throw. and disregarding. for simplicity, the eifect of the angularity of the connecting rod, it may be said that the internal length of the size-reducing chamber should be made approximately equal to: b-l-llm-l-lts--when b=ba1l diameter (assuming 4only one ball used), m=material charge dimension longitudinally yoi' the chamber at the instant crushing commences at one end of the chamber, and s=the stroke oi' the chamber. The chamber dimension should be increased if the length of the free medium (ball) be increased. The dimensions` of the supply chute I3 may be varied; and by providing a definite feed rate and using a partition, as at lil, to insure delivery at the proper end of the chamber, all possibility of choking may be avoided.

The structure so far described will operate as follows: The combined flywheel and driving pulley l being rotated by a suitable driving motor, the crank pin 6, through the connecting rod l and pin '|,-will cause reciprocation of the sizereducing chamber l. suitably graded material will be supplied at a desired rate through the chute il, and will pass alternately into one end of the chamber or the other, into the path of travel of the relatively moving size-reducing elements. Then, the size reducing medium (ball). traveling at high velocity in one direction, and an oppositelyY moving chamber head will coact to crush the material between them. To prevent material inadequately reduced in size from passing through the chamber without engagement by the size-reducing medium, there could be provided, if desired, one or more additional guide sleeves, suitably supported between the outermost pair below the ball so as to make a discharge grid and permit the escape only of particles reduced to a predetermined maximum size. It will be understood that there will be two crushing actions 'during' each rotation of the crank shaft, and assuming rotation of the latter to be counterclockwise in Fig. l, it will be understood that from i the crank position shown through the next halfrevolution (disregarding the angularity effect) the ball will move away from the decelerating chamber, the chamber will reverse its movement while the ball travels freely. and then when the chamber has attained substantially top speed in the opposite direction, crushing will take place.

In the construction shown in Figs. 3 and 4, it will be observed that a plural stage size-reducing chamber element has been shown. Here the end plates ill and il' are made of such size that it is possible to provide a second size-reducing mechanism beneath the primary sire-reducing mechanism which is arranged directly below the supply chute il. To accommodate this secondary crushing stage, it will be noted that a third series of spacing sleeves Il is arranged -in parallelism with the upper twlo series, and a-second crushing medium consisting of another ball 2l' is arranged to travel back and forth upon the lowermost series of guide sleeves ii. Ihis lower bail may be of different size from the upper one. and need not be of the same mass as the upper ball, as the rock or other material which attains to its action is of reduced size, and therefore does not require a blow of the same intensity to crush it as is the case with larger pieces. Like balls (as illustrated) may, however, be used in both chambers if maximum reduction is desired. In this form of the invention. the second or middle series of guides. which guide the upper ball element Il, are spaced a greater distance apart than the bottom series, but

' less far apart than the top series. and intermediate guides need not be provided in the second series to the extent to which-this may be desirable in the nrst form of the invention. The mode of operationfof'this form of the invention and the further structure thereof do not need particular description, as, except for the differences mentioned and the plural staging, the construction is much the same as in Figs. 1 and 2. Here both the primary and secondary crushing or ybreaking media (balls) are simultaneously reciprocated,- and more or less simultaneously act upon the material in dierent stages of sizereducing mechanism of the latter. With a compound size-reducing mechanism, such as is illustrated in this embodiment of the invention, due `to the fact that even relatively large fragments of rock are broken not only into a few relatively substantial sized pieces, but into many smallerl fragments. the average sise of the rock fragments and particles leaving the second stage will be quite small.

In Figs. 5 and 6, another mode of mounting the size-reducing chamber is illustrated. In this construction, a sise-reducing chamber I., substantially the same as that shown in Figs. 1 and 2 except for the absence of the supporting means including the angle members 2| supporting rollers 22 and pins 23, is provided. Here the chamber is supported by parallel link pairs lll, l0 and 4I, 4i, these being pivotally connected at their lower ends to the now-heavier side frame elements 42 at the top of the size-reducing chamber and also pivotally supported at their opposite (upper) ends on pins I4 supported in brackets I8 carried by a frame portion It suitably supported in any appropriate manner, as by side plates or supporting members 4I from the base I. In this case.' it willibe obvious that the size-reducing chamber 3l will not have a rectilinear reciprocatory motion, but will have an oscillatory movement, though at all times remaining in mutually parallel positions. This construction will not provide a markedly different crushing action, but will avoid the necessity for roller bearings which may, under some circumstances and unless adequatelyprotected. give trouble in the presence of abrasive material.

Referring to Figs. 7 and 8, it will be noted that in this form of the invention I have provided means for supporting the chamber including means for storing energy each time the chamber moves out of mid-position. 'Such means may obviously include combined support and energystoring means, or separate means for each function. While not employing the parallel link pairs l and 4|, I support the size-reducing chamber in a manner very similar to that shown in Figs. and 6, through the use of leaf springs 50, 5I arranged in pairs at opposite ends of the size-reducing chamber and pivotally connected to the latter at 52 `while rigidly mounted at their upper ends at 53 between angle Plates or other suitable holding means xed to the frame member I6. This form of the invention provides an advantage in that the ilywheel weight may be reduced, because the springs store energy during the movements out o! central position of the size-reducing chamber and return that energy as the size-reducing chamber moves back into central position. The mode of operation is not, in so far as size-reducing per se is concerned, markedly diierent from that of the other forms described.

In Fig. 9, to provide completely uniform travel and operation on the opposite passes of the size-reducing chamber, I mount a chamber 60, of like form to that of Fig. 1 and with a like free size-reducing member (not shown), by means of similar guides and rollers, but reciprocate the chamber by means of a Scotch yoke arrangement, employing a rod Bi, yoke 62 and crank pin 63 to provide identical opposite movements of the casing or chamber. An important feature in each form of the invention described, although not one which is essential to all the aspects of my invention, is the relative height of the balls and chambers, whereby the material is caused to be struck very completely upon every stroke.

In each form of the invention, it will be obvious that I have provided an improved size-reducing arrangement in which extreme simplicity is accomplished, in which the kinetic energy of the moving size-reducing chamber member and free size-reducing medium may be availed of most advantageously in reducing the size oi. the material, in which a single relatively large ball and its power-moved chamber may be caused to accomplish a very ,large amount of material-reduction, as compared with the larger and more cumbersome mills of the prior art, and in which there is a direct and inevitable size-reducing or crushing action between oppositely moving parts twice in each complete rotation of the driving shait.

While I have in this application specically described five forms which the invention may assume in practice, it will be understood that these forms are shown for purposes of illustration and that the invention may be further modified and embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit or the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a mill, a chamber guided for movement in opposite directions and having guides therein extending in its direction of movement and which remain parallel to the same fixed straight line throughout chamber movements, a ball in said chamber confined by said guides to movement in a zone of uniform heigh* not substantially exceeding ball diameter either laterally or upwardly and downwardly, means for introducing material into said chamber through the top thereof, means for discharging material from said chamber through the bottom thereof, and means for moving said chamber lengthwise back and forth through the same set of positions in each direction, said chamber, chamber moving means, and ball of such relative dimensions that said bali has a free lengthwise travel greater than chamber movement when said chamber is empty and, during size-reduction, coacts once in each full cycle of movement of the size-reducing chamber with each head of the chamber to crush material by the kinetic energy of the relatively moving parts.

2. In a mill, a frame, an elongated size-reducing chamber having an open bottom and supported on said frame for movements during which the same remains at all times parallel to a given fixed straight line, a free size-reducing medium in said chamber, guiding means for said sizereducing medium extending lengthwise of said chamber and spaced relative to each other and to the chamber walls to provide guiding support from beneath and path restriction above for said size-reducing medium whereby the paths of motion of the latter and the motion of said chamber are closely similar, and means for reciprocating s-aid chamber lengthwise thereof with an amplitude less than the difference between the interior length thereof and the dimension, lengthwise of said chamber, of said sizereducing medium.

3. In a mill, a frame, a member providing an elongated chamber and supported for opposite movements longitudinally through a series of positions in which it at all times remains parallel to a given fixed straight line extending in the direction of elongation of the chamber, a size-reducing medium in said chamber, guide bars supporting said size-reducing medium and serving as a discharge grating, and other guide bars constraining said size-reducing medium to movement in a zone of substantially unit size-reducing medium height.

4. In a mill, a reclprocable elongated size-reducing chamber, a free'size-reducing medium therein, and feeding means for said chamber providing for delivery thereto of material through a pair of openings spaced from each other longitudinally of said chamber and beneath which in alternation the size-reducing medium lies in the size-reducing positions of the latter.

5. In a mill, a frame, an elongated size-reducing chamber guided on said frame for rectilinear movement, a single relatively large free ball in said chamber, said ball of such dimension and said chamber so formed that the center of said bali is constrained to remain in or closely adjacent to the central longitudinal vertical plane of said chamber during relative movement between said ball and chamber and that escape of material laterally out of the path traversed by said ball is precluded, and means for positively reciproc-ating said chamber to effect coaction of said ball with the chamber ends in alternation.

6. In a mill, a frame, an elongated size-reducing chamber supported on said frame for movements during which the same remains at all times parallel to a given fixed straight line, a free size-reducing medium in said chamber, longltudinally extending guiding means for the latter providing guide rails for guiding the sizereducing medium smoothly longitudinally of the chamber and operative to maintain said sizereducing medium substantially central both laterallyand vertically of said chamber during its movements therein and providing also means for precluding material in excess of a given size from leaving said chamber, and means for reciprocating said chamber.

7. In a mill, a frame, a box providing an elongated size-reducing chamber having a feed opening in its top and its bottom open from end to end and from side to side, guide bars extending in spaced relation to the chamber walls from end to end of the latter and other guide bars more closely spaced extending in spaced relation to said chamber from end to end of the latter below said rst mentioned bars, a free size-reducing medium supported on said lower bars and conilned against substantial lifting therefrom by said upper bars, and means for rapidly moving said chamber alternately in opposite directions.

8. In a mill, a frame, a member providing an elongated chamber and supported for opposite movements longitudinally through a series of positions in which it at all times remains parallel to agiven iixed straight line extending in the direction of elongation of the chamber, a sizereducing. medium in said chamber, guide bars supporting said size-reducing medium and servlng as a discharge-controlling grating, other guide bars constraining said size-reducing medi um to movement in a zone o! substantially unit size-reducing-medium height, a further size-reducing medium in said chamber. and guide bars below said iirst mentioned guide bars for supporting said last mentioned size-reducing medium and serving as a discharge grating, said first mentioned bars constraining said second mentioned size-reducing medium to movement in a zone of substantially the unit height oi' said second mentioned size-reducing medium.

9. In a. mill, a frame, an elongated size-reducing chamber guided on said frame for rectilinear movement in its direction of elongation and having spaced members inwardly spaced from the walls of said chamber and extending from end to end oi' said chamber, a size-reducing ball guided by and on said members for movement longitudinally of said chamber out of contact with the lateral walls oi' the latter, and means for reciprocating said chamber at a rate and with an amplitude to effect ball movement along said members alternately into cooperative relation 'with the opposite ends of said chamber.

10. In a mill, a frame, an element open at its top and bottom and providing end and side walls for an elongated crusher chamber and supported on said frame for movements during which the same remains at all times parallel to a given xed straight line, a free crushing medium in the chamber formed by said element, guiding means for said crushing medium within said chamber extending lengthwise oi said chamber and continuously between the limits of free crushing medium travel within the nhamber and spaced laterally relatively to each other and to the side walls of said element to prevent downward movement out of the path of the crushing medium of material above the desired crushed size, further guiding means extending lengthwise oi' said chamber within the same continuously between the limits of free-crushing-medium travel and spaced more widely laterally from each other to permit ingress of material of relatively large size to the path of crushing-medium travel, said last mentioned guiding means spaced above said iirst mentioned guiding means and close enough to each other to preclude the passing between the same of the crushing medium, and means for reciprocating said chamber-providing element longitudinally.

ll. In a mill, a frame, an element open at its top and bottom and providing end and side walls for an elongated crusher chamber and supported on said frame for movements during which the same remains at all times parallel to a. given iixed straight line, a free crushing medium in the chamber formed by said element, guiding means for said crushing medium within said chamber extending lengthwise of said chamber and continuously between the limits of free-crushingmedium travel Within the chamber and spaced laterally relatively to each other and to the side walls of said element to prevent downward movement out of thel path of the crushing medium oi.' material above the desired crushed size, further guiding means extending lengthwise of said chamber within the same continuously between the limits of free-crushing-medium travel and spaced more widely laterally from each other to permit ingress of material of relatively large size to the path oi crushing-medium travel, said last mentioned guiding means close enough to each other and to the side walls of said crusher chamber to preclude upward escape of the crushing medium and said last mentioned guiding means spaced above said first mentioned guiding means widely enough to impose on the side walls of said chamber a lateral guiding function for the crushing medium, and means for reciprocating said chamber-providing element longitudinally.

12. In a mill, a frame, a chambered member providing a plurality of elongated superimposed chambers therein guided for substantially horizontal rectilinear movement upon said frame in the direction in which said chambers extend, a free size-reducing member in each chamber, and means for reciprocating said chambered member horizontally in such direction with a velocity and amplitude to cause alternately like coaction of the chamber contents with the opposite chamber ends respectively, said chambered member comprising longitudinally extending tie-rod devices for holding the ends thereof in spaced relation which constitute guides for said free sizereducing member and material-grading devices.

13. In a mill, a frame, a member providing the end and lateral walls of an elongated chamber and open at top and bottom and supported for opposite movements longitudinally through a series o! positions in which it at ail times remains parallel to a given fixed straight line extending in the direction of elongation of the chamber, a size-reducing medium in said chamber, and guide bars extending longitudinally of the chamber and spaced inwardly from the inner walls oi the chamber and constituting the sole bottom therefor and supporting and guiding said size-reducing medium and serving as a discharge grating. Y

14. In a mill, a frame, a crushing-chamberproviding member, a free crusher member within the chamber provided by said first mentioned member, and means for moving said crushingchamber-providing member rapidly back and forth through the same set of positions in each direction of movement while said crushing-cham ber-providing member remains at all times parallel to a substantially horizontal straight line extending parallel to the planes of its path of movement, said crushlng-chamber-providing member providing an elongated crushing space, with means for the ingress of material through the top and egress of material through the bottom thereof, and of a substantially uniform height from end to end thereof, less than the depth of said chamber and not substantially exceeding the vertical dimension oi' said crusher member and of a length exceeding the sum o! the length of its travel and the dimension longitudinally oi. said chamber of said crusher member.

l5. In a mill, a chamber guided for movement in opposite directions and having longitudinally extending walls for confining material while the same is being reduced in sise and further having guides therein which extend in the direction o! chamber movement and which remain parallel to the same iixed straight line throughout cham ber movements, a ball charge in said chamber guided by said guides for movement, when said chamber isempty of material, out of contact with but in close contiguity to the longitudinally extending walls of said chamber and conned by said guides to movement in a stratum oi approximately unit ball thickness, and means for imparting to' said chamber alternate movements in opposite directions, said chamber and said ball charge o! such relative dimensions longitudinally of said chamber that said bali charge has a path oi tree movement in said chamber at least equal in length to chamber movement and that a bailcharge and chamber-end coaction. to crush rock by the kinetic energy oi the parts, occurs twice during each full cycle of mouvement` of the crush- CERTIFICATE OF CGRRECTION.

Patent No 2,168 ,085.

ROBERT s. BUTLER;

ing chamber, and said ball charge, guides and longitudinally extending walls of such relative dimensions and so arranged that said walls act to hold material within the path of the bali charge during size-reduction.

i6. In a mill, a reciprocable elongated crushing chamber. means for reciprocating the same longitudinally. a free crushing medium enclosed within said chamber, said chamber and crushing medium ot such relative dimensions and said chamber reciprocated with such speed that said crushing medium coacts alternately with the opposite chamber ends. and a feed device for said chamber providing for the delivery of feed thereinto during chamber movement, in a direction transverse to the path oi crushing-medium movement and between the ends o! such path and including feed openings respectively positioned to admit material to the opposite ends of the chamber and through each oi which material is admissible when the crushing medium is at its maximum distance from the chamber end for which such opening is provided.

ROBERT B. BUTLER.

August l, 1959.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows:

"crushing" read -sizereclucing; line ond column, line 5-6, fior the word I315-56, for"sizereducing mechanism" read size-reduction;

Page 2, secline 66, for

the word "crushing" read --sizereducing; ani that thesaid Letters Patent should `be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to,"1e record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 25th day of June,

A. D. 191m.

Henry van Arsdale, Acting Commissioner of Patents.

travel and the dimension longitudinally oi. said chamber of said crusher member.

l5. In a mill, a chamber guided for movement in opposite directions and having longitudinally extending walls for confining material while the same is being reduced in sise and further having guides therein which extend in the direction o! chamber movement and which remain parallel to the same iixed straight line throughout cham ber movements, a ball charge in said chamber guided by said guides for movement, when said chamber isempty of material, out of contact with but in close contiguity to the longitudinally extending walls of said chamber and conned by said guides to movement in a stratum oi approximately unit ball thickness, and means for imparting to' said chamber alternate movements in opposite directions, said chamber and said ball charge o! such relative dimensions longitudinally of said chamber that said bali charge has a path oi tree movement in said chamber at least equal in length to chamber movement and that a bailcharge and chamber-end coaction. to crush rock by the kinetic energy oi the parts, occurs twice during each full cycle of mouvement` of the crush- CERTIFICATE OF CGRRECTION.

Patent No 2,168 ,085.

ROBERT s. BUTLER;

ing chamber, and said ball charge, guides and longitudinally extending walls of such relative dimensions and so arranged that said walls act to hold material within the path of the bali charge during size-reduction.

i6. In a mill, a reciprocable elongated crushing chamber. means for reciprocating the same longitudinally. a free crushing medium enclosed within said chamber, said chamber and crushing medium ot such relative dimensions and said chamber reciprocated with such speed that said crushing medium coacts alternately with the opposite chamber ends. and a feed device for said chamber providing for the delivery of feed thereinto during chamber movement, in a direction transverse to the path oi crushing-medium movement and between the ends o! such path and including feed openings respectively positioned to admit material to the opposite ends of the chamber and through each oi which material is admissible when the crushing medium is at its maximum distance from the chamber end for which such opening is provided.

ROBERT B. BUTLER.

August l, 1959.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows:

"crushing" read -sizereclucing; line ond column, line 5-6, fior the word I315-56, for"sizereducing mechanism" read size-reduction;

Page 2, secline 66, for

the word "crushing" read --sizereducing; ani that thesaid Letters Patent should `be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to,"1e record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 25th day of June,

A. D. 191m.

Henry van Arsdale, Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

